Introduction
This series of walks has been developed to assist anyone to enjoy Llysfaen and its surroundings through following footpaths, minor roads and open access land. The walks are all circular, starting from several points around the village, but they can be started or finished anywhere to suit the walker. They usually range in distance from 3.1km (1.9 miles) to 5.3km (3.3 miles) but the Llysfaen Parish walk is considerably longer at 12.9km (8 miles). When walking in Llysfaen, there is usually a degree of ascent and descent involved; overall ascent ranges from 86m (283’) to 250m (820’) although the Parish walk has a total height climbed of 430m (1411’).
Anyone who is reasonably fit should find the walks easy; they are not, however, designed for people who struggle with walking, nor for pushchairs nor wheelchairs. Any stiles are mentioned in the introduction to each walk, kissing gates abound.
Distances are given in miles and kilometres, total ascent in feet and metres. Times quoted are approximate, based on two and a half miles per hour (4km per hour) with an addition for overall ascent; time for stopping and chatting are not included.
All routes have been mapped out on Ordnance Survey online mapping (https://osmaps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/), but maps are not included in the walk descriptions due to copyright issues. The route descriptions with associated photographs should enable straightforward following of the routes.
Almost all footpaths within the village are included over the series of walks. Those public rights of way shown on OS maps as a green dotted line, without the underlying black pecked line symbol, have not been included; these indicate that although there is a public right of way there is no footpath on the ground.
Note that there are no longer any toilet facilities in the village!
There are several hyperlinks, shown in blue, underlined text, in the walk descriptions that in the digital version give access online to the relevant website for more detailed information. Clearly these will not be available from any printed version you may wish to produce.
All walks are undertaken at your own risk. They have all been walked, albeit by an experienced walker(s) and any particular points of concern have been noted in the text. Since some of the paths cross farmland, there is always the possibility of meeting farm animals (as with any public right of way in the area). If you are concerned about this do not follow the route! Dog walkers should be particularly wary where sheep, cows or horses are present.
Since most of the routes involve footpaths, they are likely to be affected by periods of wet weather; it may be worth avoiding them in these conditions so that you do not get wet and muddy (with increased risk of slipping and falling) and you do not cause deterioration of the paths’ surface.
Should you find any of the route descriptions incorrect or misleading, or should you have any other comments, please in the first instance pass them on to the Clerk who will forward them to the walks’ author. Hopefully we can then get them amended and updated on the website.
Data Sources
The Ordnance Survey maps at 1:25 000 have been used extensively, mostly in the form of online maps OS maps online (a subscription service), but Conwy County Borough Council’s website has a section on public rights of way where all ROWs can be seen on detailed OS map or satellite background Conwy Council ROWs.
The older series of Ordnance Survey large scale maps can be investigated at Old OS maps and give useful insight into Llysfaen around 1900.
Welsh Tithe Maps give an even earlier look at Llysfaen (around 1839).
The British Geological Survey’s “Geology of Britain viewer” is an online tool that provides detailed maps of Britain, including Llysfaen. Links provide details of the geological formations shown on the map. BGS viewer. The 3D version is particularly impressive.
The Welsh government’s Historic Environment Service Cadw has a good online tool which covers Wales in detail. You can zoom in and find information on sites of interest. Several such sites have been referenced in the route descriptions.
The series of books by Joan Davies on the history of Llysfaen are now provided as scanned pages by the Community Council on their website.
All photographs and route descriptions are copyright of the author, Colin Peter.